Altruism and Christian Ethics (New studies in Christian Ethics)

287 Pages·2001·1.99 MB·English

by  Colin Grant

ALTRUISM AND
CHRISTIAN ETHICS
Separated from its anchorage in religion, ethics has fol-
lowedthesocialsciencesinseeinghumanbeingsasfunda-
mentally characterized by self-interest, so that altruism is
either naively idealistic or arrogantly self-sufficient. Colin
Grant contends that, as a modern secular concept,
altruismisaparodyontheself-givingloveofChristianity,
so that its dismissal represents a social leveling that loses
the depths that theology makes intelligible and religion
makespossible.
The Christian affirmation is that God is characterized
by self-giving love (agape), then expected of Christians.
Lacking this theological background, the focus on self-
interest in sociobiology and economics, and on human
realisminthepoliticalfocusofJohnRawlsorthefeminist
sociability of Carol Gilligan, finds altruism naive or a
dangerous distraction from real possibilities of mutual
support.Thisbookarguesthattodispensewithaltruismis
to dispense with God and with the divine transformation
ofhumanpossibilities.
colin grant is Professor of Religious Studies at Mount
Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick. Author of
ASalvationAudit(1994)andMythsWeLiveBy(1998),hehas
also published journal articles in Britain, America, and
Canada. He is a member of the American Academy of
Religion, the Canadian Society for the Studyof Religion,
andtheCanadianTheologicalSociety.
new studies in christian ethics
Generaleditor
RobinGill
Editorialboard
StephenR.L.Clark,StanleyHauerwas,RobinW.Lovin
Christian ethics has increasingly assumed a central place within
academic theology. At the same time the growing power and ambi-
guityofmodernscienceandtherisingdissatisfactionwithinthesocial
sciences about claims to value-neutrality have prompted renewed
interest in ethics within the secular academic world. There is, there-
fore, a need for studies in Christian ethics which, as well as being
concerned with the relevance of Christian ethics to the present-day
secular debate, are well informed about parallel discussions in recent
philosophy, science or social science. New Studies in Christian Ethics
aimstoprovidebooksthatdothisatthehighestintellectualleveland
demonstratethatChristianethicscanmakeadistinctivecontribution
to this debate – either in moral substance or in terms of underlying
moraljustifications.
Titlespublishedintheseries
1. RightsandChristianEthicsKieranCronin
2. BiblicalInterpretationandChristianEthicsIanMcDonald
3. PowerandChristianEthicsJamesMackey
4. PluralityandChristianEthicsIanS.Markham
5. MoralActionandChristianEthicsJeanPorter
6. ResponsibilityandChristianEthicsWilliamSchweiker
7. JusticeandChristianEthicsE.ClintonGardner
8. FeminismandChristianEthicsSusanParsons
9. Sex,GenderandChristianEthicsLisaSowleCahill
10. TheEnvironmentandChristianEthicsMichaelS.Northcott
11. ConceptsofPersonandChristianEthicsStanleyRudman
12. PrioritiesandChristianEthicsGarthHallett
13. Community,LiberalismandChristianEthicsDavidFergusson
14. TheMarketEconomyandChristianEthicsPeterSedgwick
15. ChurchgoingandChristianEthicsRobinGill
16. InequalityandChristianEthicsDouglasHicks
17. BiologyandChristianEthicsStephenClark
18. AltruismandChristianEthicsColinGrant
19. ThePublicForumandChristianEthicsRobertGascoigne
20. EvilandChristianEthicsGordonGraham

ALTRUISM AND
CHRISTIAN ETHICS
COLIN GRANT
MountAllisonUniversity
PUBLISHED BY CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS (VIRTUAL PUBLISHING)
FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 IRP
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia
http://www.cambridge.org
' Colin Grant 2001
This edition ' Colin Grant 2003
First published in printed format 2000
A catalogue record for the original printed book is available
from the British Library and from the Library of Congress
Original ISBN 0 521 79144 8 hardback
ISBN 0 511 01292 6 virtual (netLibrary Edition)

Thisbookisdedicatedtothememoryof
recentlydeceasedcolleaguesandfriends
onbothsideoftheAtlantic.
CanadianphilosophersRossStanwayandGordonTreash
and
ChurchofScotlandministersRobinHallandGeorgePoustie

Contents
Generaleditor’spreface pagexi
Preface xiii
part one alien altruism 1
1 Explanationsforaltruism 3
2 Evidenceofaltruism 34
3 Theelusivenessofaltruism 57
part two ideal altruism 89
4 Contractaltruism 91
5 Constructedaltruism 110
6 Collegialaltruism 135
part three real altruism 165
7 Acutealtruism:agape 167
8 Absolutealtruism 190
9 Actualaltruism 218
Selectbibliography 251
Index 263
ix